1955 Long Distance Build

[caseyjones]

Setting expectations: This will be a very slow build. I live in Portland OR, but the truck in in South Dakota. I get back there twice a year so this project is going to be a series of long stretches of research and stockpiling parts with short bursts of progress.

The truck was purchased by my dad about a dozen years ago. The story goes that it was a seed corn salesman's truck. My brother and i got it started for him by putting in a Nova front clip but then nothing much really happened with it from there and it just sat in his shed.


A couple of years ago, my dad offered the truck to me if I promised to do something with it. I have had a 1956 and a 1965 in the past, but I'm currently truck-less and don't really have the space to do the heavy fabrication close to home.




I finally got serious about building the truck last fall and started putting together a plan. First, build the chassis. Second, get it running and driving. Third, road trip it in semi-finished state to wherever I'm living.

This is a budget build, meant to be driver-quality. I want something that will be utilitarian and reliable. I want to do the work myself and with my dad, and I want to gain better understanding of what works and what doesn't.